Kyle Busch misses playoffs for first time since 2012

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Kyle Busch missed the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs for the first time since 2012 after finishing second Sunday night at Darlington.

The heartbreak stings with the form Busch and Richard Childress Racing had to close the regular season. Before finishing second to new winner Chase Briscoe at Darlington, Busch finished second to new winner Harrison Burton at Daytona and fourth the week before at Michigan. Austin Dillon commanded Richmond and won but lost the playoff berth after what happened at the finish.

In Sunday night’s Cook Out Southern 500, Busch was often a nonfactor, running outside of the top-10 most of the night. The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion benefited from four cautions in the final 52 laps to get the track position he needed to propel him to the front.

Tires helped too. On the final restart, with 17 laps to go, Busch started seventh and was the first car with fresh tires. He propelled to second and then grinded away at the gap between him and Chase Briscoe. Briscoe held strong and fended him off to win and take the playoff spot Busch wanted so badly.

“I think I just needed him to have maybe three or four more laps, older tires for me to be able to break through the wake. Once I got within his air, I really didn’t have enough to power through that, to get closer. I was kind of sliding already,” Busch said. “Hate it for our guys. They turned it around these last four, five weeks and we’ve run a lot better. That’s been much improved, beneficial to our team and the organization.”

Richard Childress Racing has placed a car inside the Top-5 in all four races since the Olympic break:

• Richmond: Austin Dillon won
• Michigan: Kyle Busch finished fourth
• Daytona and Darlington: Kyle Busch finished second

Their campaign for the Cup is over. However, there’s another quest to keep up: Getting Busch back to victory lane. History is on the line too as he has won in a record 19 consecutive NASCAR Cup Series seasons and could become the first to win in 20 consecutive seasons.

“I wanted it last week [at Daytona], I wanted it this week. I wanted it in Atlanta, I wanted it in Vegas. There’s been a lot of opportunities. Daytona 500 we were up front all day. I can count ’em at least on a hand. Maybe I need two hands to count opportunities that have slipped away,” Busch said. “We’re achieving right now and getting success from those runs and pulling into finishes that we need.”

On the season, Busch has five Top-5 finishes and nine Top-10 finishes. Four of those Top-10s – including Top-5s the last three weeks – have come in the last seven weeks.

As he’s on his strongest stretch of the season, Busch will fittingly return to Atlanta Motor Speedway next Sunday. In February, mere inches separated him from a win to get into the playoffs. 

The Quaker State 400 from Atlanta Motor Speedway will go green Sunday, Sept. 8, just after 3 p.m. ET (USA, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).